‘Not our president’: Thousands take to the US streets to protest Trump’s victory
ANGER ERUPTS In many colleges and universities, which are mostly liberal and Democratic, classes were cancelled
When Americans woke up on Wednesday, they discovered they had elected Donald Trump as their next president. Some were exultant, others not so much and still others were disappointed and angry enough to take to the streets.
As the day unfolded, protests broke out in several American cities against the stunning upset pulled off by Trump, defeating Democrat Hillary Clinton who had led every opinion poll, survey and forecast for most of the year.
The protesters, mostly young college students, burnt Trump effigies and chanted “Not my president” in Washington DC and Boston, “No Trump, no KKK, no racist USA” in San Francisco and “Hey, ho, Donald Trump got to go” in Los Angeles. A demonstration of about 6,000 people blocked traffic in Oakland, California. Protesters threw objects at police in riot gear, burned trash in the middle of an intersection, set off fireworks and smashed store front windows. Chicago police had to close some roads to impede the protesters’ path.
They gathered around the real estate tycoon’s buildings, easily identifiable landmarks in many cities across the country with his last name emblazoned across them in fancy fonts and designs.
Musician Lady Gaga, an outspoken Clinton supporter, joined protests at Trump Tower in Manhattan, where Trump lives with his family and works, and which had a protective ring of dumpsters kept around it by authorities for security.
She posted a picture of herself standing in front of one of those dumpsters. “I want to live in a #CountryOfKindness #LoveTrumpsHate He divided us so carelessly,” she wrote in a post on social media. “Let’s take care now of each other.”
In colleges and universities, which are mostly liberal and Democratic, classes and assessments were cancelled or postponed, and authorities sought to reassure youngsters struggling to deal with the election outcome.
“Partisan, inflammatory statements unfortunately seem to be part of modern campaign rhetoric, but they cause real wounds,” Northwestern University wrote to students, asking them to notify professors if they need to miss class, according to USA Today.
In her concession speech, Clinton called for people to give Trump a chance with an “open mind”, but she conceded she was hurt and it was painful and would stay so for a while. Those wounds will take time to heal.
President Barack Obama pressed the same message — to move on. “A lot of our fellow Americans are exultant today. A lot of Americans are less so. But that’s the nature of campaigns. That’s the nature of democracy,” he said, before protests broke out.
Protests were reported from 25 cities, with many arrests. But there were no reports of violence or clashes with Trump supporters, who had been aggressive during the campaign, and had beaten up protesters at the Republican nominee’s rallies.
They have every reason to stay home now, and celebrate, and watch their nominee begin putting together his administration to take charge after his inauguration on January 20, past noon. Critics wonder why Clinton lost despite winning the populAr vote. The Answer lies in the electorAl college system, which reduces the influence of big stAtes by distributing A disproportionAte number of votes to smAller stAtes. North DAkotA, for exAmple, hAs About A quArter of 1% of the US populAtion but double thAt proportion of electorAl college votes. Conversely, CAliforniAns mAke up 12% of the populAtion but only 10% of the electorAl college votes Unprecedented protests rocked cities such As ChicAgo, Los Angeles, Boston And SeAttle. A gunmAn opened fire in downtown SeAttle not fAr from protests AgAinst Trump, whose supporters told immigrAnts
'The wolves Are coming, you Are the hunted' As rAce hAte feArs rose Two of AmeriCA’s Biggest Allies in the AsiA-PACifiC. Trump hAs CAused ConsternAtion And AlArm in Tokyo with suggestions thAt he is willing to mAke drAmAtiC ChAnges to the seCurity glue thAt hAs held the two Countries together for more thAn 60 yeArs. Tokyo And Seoul, Trump ClAimed, hAve Benefited from US seCurity lArgesse thAt they pAy very little to mAintAin
Trump hAs CAlled gloBAl wArming A "hoAx" . Will AmeriCA, onCe AgAin, pull out of An internAtionAl ClimAte deAl?
The identity Crisis thAt Convulsed the RepuBliCAn PArty during his tumultuous CAndidACy hAs Been resolved. But At whAt Cost?
World leAders Are Anxious over how Trump will hAndle proBlems from the
Middle EAst to An Assertive RussiA, And whether he will CArry out A numBer of CAmpAign threAts
The BloC's top leAders invited Trump to A summit As soon As possiBle As they wArned of unCertAinty in relAtions And A need to respeCt demoCrAtiC vAlues President CAlled for A new erA of “fully fledged relAtions” Between his Country And the United StAtes. Trump’s viCtory wAs ApplAuded in the RussiAn pArliAment And prompted speCulAtion thAt US-imposed sAnCtions CouldBe lifted
President Xi Jinping led China in congratulating Donald Trump on becoming presidentelect of the US against a backdrop of uncertainty about the future of bilateral ties already fraught with mistrust and competition.
Chinese mainland stock markets fell on Wednesday as Trump overtook and then defeated rival Hillary Clinton in the polls. The fall reflected Chinese investors’ concerns about Trump becoming the leader of the world’s largest economy.
Editorials in the state media talked about upheavals in diplomatic and economic relations, citing Trump’s anti-China rhetoric throughout his divisive campaign. Xi sent a congratulatory message to Trump that talked about working together to maintain world peace.
In his message, Xi was quoted by state media as saying that while China is the world's largest developing country and the US the largest developed power, both, as the world's top economies, bear the responsibility of maintaining global peace and stability and boosting development and prosperity, he said.
“I value the relations between China and the US and I am looking forward to working together with you to expand China-US cooperation in every field, at the bilateral, regional and global levels, on the basis of the principles of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, with differences controlled in a constructive manner, so as to push China-US ties further forward from a new starting point...” Xi said.
Asked about Trump’s persistent anti-China rhetoric, foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said Beijing was waiting to see how the real estate mogul deals with bilateral ties.
“Just elected yesterday. We are waiting to see what policies he will adopt on China,” Lu said.